A majority of vehicles, both power-driven and manually-operated, are supported by and ride on wheels which have pneumatic tires secured thereto. These pneumatic tires are filled with air to support the vehicle and rotate by means of a power train in motor propelled vehicles or by the manual operation of the operator such as a bicycle rider. On many of these vehicles, and in particular, power-driven vehicles, a shock absorber system is incorporated in the vehicle in order that the wheel may move in a vertical plane during operation to absorb undulations and irregularties in the surface upon which it is operated.
The standard shock absorber system is invaluable when the vehicle is being operated on a surface or in terrain which is very irregular or which requires the vehicle to encounter and circumvent the irregularities encountered by most drivers in the operation of the vehicle. These include curb cuts, potholes, and severe roadway irregularities.
The shock absorber system which is standardly incorporated in motor vehicles is also an integral part of the suspension system for the safe handling of the vehicle.
Indeed, the standard shock absorber system on a motor vehicle is primarily concerned with the handling of the vehicle when the vehicle is being operated on a relatively flat road surface. Nevertheless, such a road surface would include undulations which the shock absorber system is designed to smooth over.
The present invention is directed to an improvement in the shock absorber system with the present invention being directly related to the pneumatic tire of the motor vehicle. The present invention is directed toward those undulations or roadway irregularities which repeat themselves at regular intervals such as the seam between the concrete slab roadway portion found on many highways. These seams are not a significant irregularity such that the standard shock absorber system of the vehicle significantly reacts to the irregularity, however, particularly with motorcycles, these seams in the roadway do set up a repeated vibration which contributes to operator discomfort by repeatedly compressing the pneumatic tire of the vehicle as the vehicle passes over these seams.
Applicant's invention is related to a tire shock absorber which can react to these repeated irregularities which are not significantly dampened by the standard shock absorber system of the vehicle such that the tire shock absorber provides for a smoother vibration-free ride to the operator.